As the Snow Falls
by Me love tea
Summary: Its the anniversary of the Maxwell Church incident and Duo's past comes back to haunt him. That's all I can say without spoiling something! Plese R+R! notepad messed this up...sorry...


Disclaimer: I dont own GW.  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*= dreams  
  
  
As the Snow Falls  
  
  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
"It was beautiful," A young woman said, her breath   
Was coming short and blood ran from the corner of her mouth. A seven-year old boy gently held her head in his arms. "He preached peace 'till the very end." They sat in the middle of what used to be a church, now wrecked. Father Maxwell's body lay a few feet away and several others were scattered everywhere. It was a gruesome day.   
"Sister Helen…"  
"Your very kind, Duo." She closed her eyes, and her breath stopped.  
"NOOOO!!!!!!" Tears streamed from his eyes. "Sister Helen, please, don't die! Wake up, please! Please!!" Snow began to fall around him, covering up the blood and wreckage. Duo sat alone and shivering. Everyone he had known, everything he knew, was now gone. Demolished, and never to recover again.  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
This gruesome event was to be known as: The Maxwell Church Incident. Over 200 people died, and only one survived. A young boy who called himself, Duo Maxwell.  
  
  
  
"NO!" Duo jerked himself awake. He sat up, breathing hard and covered with sweat. "A dream…that's all it was…just a dream. That won't stop HAUNTING me!!!" He buried his face in his hands. "Why wont it go away? It's been over seven years!" Duo looked at the clock, it read 12am. "Eight years exactly, today. Maybe a snack will help." Duo walked down the hallway of Hilde's. She had offered him an extra room while he was on L2. But Hilde was off on a business trip, somewhere on the earth. Duo wandered into the kitchen and sat down at the table, realizing that he wasn't hungry. "This is stupid, I'm afraid to go back to sleep, because of a dream? I'm Shinigami!" Duo rested his chin on his hand, and closed his eyes thinking. Soon he fell asleep, with his head on the table. Dreaming a dream that haunted him since he was only seven.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
"Surely you believe in God." Father Maxwell said, looking at the young Duo.  
"No," He said, shaking his head. "I only believe in Shinigami, the god of death."  
Father Maxwell smiled and someone started knocking at the door. When he answered it, OZ soldiers ran in.  
"May I help you?"  
"We're here for mobile suits!"  
"You want some suits? Then you'll leave us alone? I'll get them for you!" Duo ran out the door.  
"Duo! Wait!" Sister Helen shouted.  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
  
"Duo, Duo! Wake up!" Quatre shook his shoulder. Duo jerked and his chair tipped. He woke up when his head hit the floor.  
"Ow!" Duo exclaimed, rubbing the back of his head.  
"Are you all right?" Quatre asked, holding out his hand. Duo looked at it, and stood up, backing away. "Duo? What's wrong?"  
"Why are you here?" He asked, still rubbing his head.  
"I came to see if you wanted to come and stay at the mansion with the rest of us." Quatre said, puzzled.  
"No!" Duo backed up farther.  
"Are you okay?"  
"I'm fine!"  
"Duo…" Quatre took a step toward him.   
"Leave me alone!" Duo ran down the hall, slamming the door behind him. Quatre looked a little surprised. He cautiously approached the door, and listened. He heard Duo, quietly crying.  
"Everyone that I care about gets hurt! Everyone around me!" Duo slammed his fist against the door. Quatre opened his mouth to say something, then closed it. He knocked instead.  
"Duo? I'm leaving now. You're welcome to come anytime." Quatre turned and walked back down the hall, towards the door. He looked up and noticed something pinned to the calendar. Quatre unfolded the old piece of paper; it was a newspaper article. He read it, looked at the date and pieced together why Duo was acting the way he was.  
  
December 2, 187 A.C.  
  
Over 200 dead  
  
  
The Maxwell Church was attacked yesterday  
By a government group known as OZ. They  
We're supposedly looking for mobile suits.  
The church was known for taking in orphans  
And giving them food and shelter. OZ soldiers   
Became impatient and bombed the church,  
"Making an example" of it. Sister Helen   
And Father Maxwell ran the church  
And both were killed. Father Maxwell  
Preached peace 'till the end apparently.   
No survivors or witnesses are reported.  
  
  
Quatre folded the paper up again and pinned it back in place. He then left locking the door behind him, knowing Duo would forget especially how he was acting. He sighed and walked off toward the airport, Quatre paid for a ticket to L4. When he arrived at the L4 airport, Rashid was there to meet him.  
"How did it go Master Quatre?" Rashid asked, leading him to the car.  
"Not good," Quatre sighed, climbing in to the car.  
"He didn't want to come?"  
"I think he'd rather be alone today." Quatre paused for a moment. "Rashid? Are you familiar with the Maxwell Church incident?"  
"No, Master Quatre. I only remember the news being broadcasted, but that's it."  
"Oh," Quatre stared out the window.  
"Is something wrong, Master?"  
"No, its nothing."  
"Welcome home, Master." Rashid stopped the car and Quatre climbed out, walking towards the house with his head down. He walked inside, and to the family room.  
"Duo didn't want to come?" Trowa asked, Quatre looked up and shook his head.  
"No," He hesitated for a moment. "He, uh…was busy…"  
"Quatre…What really happened?" Heero asked, Quatre hesitated again.  
"Um, well…He was…well, scared of me." He said looking at his feet.  
"Scared of you?" Wufei asked, raising an eyebrow.  
"He wouldn't let me near him. Duo ran in to his room and locked the door."  
"Hmm…"  
"Are any of you familiar with the Maxwell Church Incident?"  
"I am," Trowa said. "Why?"  
"Well, today's the anniversary of it. Duo was acting strangely…and an article of it was pinned to the calendar."  
"What else, Quatre?" Wufei asked.  
"I went to tell him I was leaving and he was saying something about how everyone around him gets hurt."  
"I wouldn't worry, Quatre." Heero replied. "He'll get over it."  
"We don't know that." Trowa pointed out. "We haven't known him a year."  
"He needs some company," Quatre replied. "Someone besides us. Should we call Hilde?"  
"No, that would make it even worse." Wufei disagreed. "If Maxwell is babbling about hurting people he cares about, we certainly don't want to bring Hilde back."  
"So we'll go ourselves."  
"Quatre,"  
"What?!"  
"I don't think-"  
"Duo's my friend! I'm going to help me even if it kills me!" He had made up his mind. Quatre was being stubborn.   
"It might actually happen." Trowa said quietly. The others stared at him. "Duo can be unpredictable…I thought he never knew his parents…"  
"He didn't…" Quatre replied, wondering what Trowa was talking about.  
"…Maxwell Church…" The others puzzled over this mystery.   
"There's only one way…" Heero started. "Ask him ourselves…"  
"Let's go!" Quatre rushed them all out the door. Barely catching the latest shuttle, they set off for the L2 cluster. After arriving at Hilde's, the pilots found Duo sitting at the kitchen table. He didn't even notice them as they walked in.   
"Duo?" Quatre tapped him on the shoulder. Without any warning, Duo whirled around and punched Quatre in the face. He cried out in mixed pain and surprise and stumbled backwards. Heero and Wufei advanced on Duo while Trowa pulled a first-aid kit out of the nearby cabinet. Duo backed away, his breath was coming in ragged gasps.  
"Duo! Stop this!" Heero demanded.  
"What would you know, Heero?!" Duo snapped.   
"About what?"  
"Heh heh, you just don't get it…being the only survivor of a horrible incident?? DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW IT FEELS?!" He screamed, grabbing a butcher knife on the counter and lunging at Wufei. He had barely enough time to block with his sword. Duo jumped backwards and lunged again, this time he got an opening. Wufei sank to his knees, a hand over his bleeding side. Duo giggled gleefully and ran at him again. Wufei blocked him, but Duo was overpowering him. Heero tackled Duo and wrenched the knife from his grip. Duo escaped from Heero's grip, only to have his arms twisted behind him. Duo tried to squirm away, but Heero tighten his grip, cutting off the circulation to his wrists.  
"Let me go!"  
"Stop it, Duo!"  
"You don't know Heero…you know nothing!" Duo's blue eyes widened. "NOTHING!! YOU HEAR ME?!"  
"Listen, Duo." Heero growled. "You had nothing to do with that incident…It would have happened anyway…"  
"YOU KNOW HOW IT FEELS TO WATCH SOMEONE YOU CARE ABOUT DIE?!?! WATCHING THEM SUFFER?!! PAIN THEY NEVER DESERVED?! TO BE LEFT ALONE?!?!!"  
"yes, Duo…I do." Duo's blue eyes widened even more. "Now you're hands are stained with the blood of your friends…look, Duo." Heero loosened his grip and turned him around. Quatre was crying softly in the corner, his hands covering his bloody face. Trowa was bandaging the deep cut in Wufei's side. After finishing that, he sat next to Quatre and gently pulled his hands away. When Duo saw what he had done, he felt sick.  
"H-heero..." Heero pushed his head into the sink and he lost his meager breakfast and lunch. Quatre's nose was steadily bleeding and he had bitten his lower lip. One eye was swollen near the top of his nose and his jaw was set at an odd angle. His tears cut paths down through his blood-smeared face and dropped off, staining his lightly colored clothing. Trowa bandaged up and cleaned what he could. Then he gave Quatre gauze to hold under his nose. Placing one hand behind Quatre's head, he held his chin in the other.  
"Ready?" Trowa asked. Quatre gulped and nodded. Trowa twisted his jaw in the opposite direction and a loud snap echoed.   
"T-thanks Trowa…" Quatre managed to say, rubbing his chin.   
"Don't talk, it'll make it worse…" Quatre nodded. Heero dropped Duo's arms and backed away. Trowa helped Quatre up, who was still a little jumpy. Wufei struggled to his feet and swayed slightly. They walked out of the kitchen and were in the foyer when Wufei broke into a coughing fit. He leaned against the wall and covered his mouth. The others waited patiently for him but it didn't seem to stop. Wufei's coughs were growing louder and more violent while his breath was coming in short gasps. Heero whapped him on the back and after a large cough he stopped, flashing Heero a look of gratitude he dropped his hand. Quatre gave a cry of alarm and the others looked at Wufei's hand. It was splattered with blood.   
"Wufei? Are you alright?" Heero asked.  
"F-fine…" He stammered, wiping his hand on his shirt. The four pilots slowly made their way to the airport and caught a shuttle back to the L4 cluster. Rashid was there to pick them up, but was shocked to see the condition that Quatre was in. Before he could question, Trowa shook his head. They piled into the car and the drive to the mansion seemed to take an eternity. When they did arrive, Wufei stumbled up to his room, Trowa and Heero sat down in the living room, and Quatre went off to his room for a nap. Heero and Trowa exchanged glances and sighed. Neither had any idea how to solve this problem.   
As the days passed, Quatre seemed to get even more jumpy and Wufei weaker. One day Hilde called, Quatre answered the phone and, realizing who it was, shrieked. This brought the others running only to find him huddled in a corner, crying and the phone hanging by its cord.  
"Hello?" Trowa picked up the phone.  
"Trowa? This is Hilde…"  
"Yeah?"  
"Is Duo there?"  
"No. He should be there."  
"He's not…" Hilde replied, sounding worried. Trowa put his hand over the phone and motioned for Heero and Wufei to come closer.  
"He's not at Hilde's anymore."  
"Nani?" Wufei asked.   
"Tell her, Trowa." Heero replied. He nodded and spoke in to the phone again.  
"Duo wasn't himself a few days ago…" Trowa started but was interrupted by Wufei breaking into another coughing fit. "Hilde? I'll call you back." He quickly hung up the phone and dialed a number. Tossing the phone to Heero, Trowa left the room and soon returned with a glass of water. Wufei took the glass and drank it quickly, gasping. The phone stoped ringing and was picked up.  
"Hello?" Sally's voice answered.  
"This is Heero. Come to Quatre's ASAP."  
"Be there soon." She hung up and Heero set the phone back on the reciver. Wufei stood up and went out the door. Quatre had cried himself to sleep.   
"Quatre?" Trowa shook him.   
"What?" Quatre asked quietly, opening an eye.   
"Come on, get up." Quatre groaned but got up; he plopped down on the couch and buried his face in the pillow. The doorbell rang and, taking one glance at Quatre, Heero went to answer it. Sally greeted him and stepped inside.   
"What's the big emergency, Heero?" She asked.  
"Duo."  
"What about him?"  
"Follow me." He led her to where Quatre and Trowa were. Trowa was leaning against the wall, and Quatre was still lying on the couch. "Quatre, sit up." He mumbled something but sat up, Sally's eyes widened when she saw his bruised face. "He did this and..."  
"Who's here?" Wufei stood in the doorway, gripping the doorjam. "Onna?"   
"Duo got him with a butcher knife." Wufei cried out in pain, and collapsed on the ground, holding his side. Sally rushed over.  
"Let me see the cut."  
"No."  
"Let me see it." Sally demanded, He grumbled something and moved his shirt away from it. "Oh my God..." She gasped, pulling away the bandage. "Thats a horrible wound! How have you been living?! Have you been having trouble with anything?"   
"No." He started coughing but it quickly stopped.   
"No problems huh?" She asked, raising an eyebrow. "Theres blood running from the corner of your mouth. You have to go to the hospital. Something's bleeding. Has this been happening often?"  
"Daily." Quatre said, his voice muffled by the pillow.  
"Why didn't you say something?" Sally asked, directing her question at Wufei. He looked a little sheepish as he stared at the floor.  
"I didnt want you to worry, onna." He mumbled, She laughed and stood up.   
"Come on, I'll give you a ride to the hospital." They both left, with Sally helping Wufei walk. The phone rang, Heero picked it up.  
"Meet me on the Earth at the Pacific International Shipyard." The voice on the other end said. There was no mistaking who it was. "I need to speak with you."  
"Understood." Heero hung up the phone and turned to Trowa. "I'm meeting Duo on Earth. I'll be back soon." Trowa nodded and Heero left to catch a shuttle immediatly. He had a window seat and didnt pay much attention to his neighbor, until he heard a familiar voice. Heero looked over and Relena was leaning back with her eyes closed. "Relena?"  
"Heero?" She looked at him. "How strange. What are you doing?"  
"Meeting Duo."  
"Oh," She replied. "I'm going home for some rest." Relena closed her eyes again and soon fell fast asleep. The rest of the trip went by quickly as Heero wondered why Duo wanted to talk with him. Wasting no time after landing, Heero headed straight for the Shipyard. He spotted someone sitting up on the edge of a cliff, hanging over the ocean. Walking up there, He found the braided pilot.   
"Glad you came Heero." Duo greeted him, standing up and turning around. There was something odd about him, Duo wasn't smiling and his once bright eyes were dull, almost lifeless.   
"What is it Duo?"  
"Kill me."  
"Nani?!"  
"Kill me."   
"Duo..."  
"My hands have been stained with blood, I have no family...what's the point of living any longer?"  
"What about Hilde? Isn't she family?" Heero asked. Duo's face twisted in pain.  
"She doesn't love me, Heero." He nudged the ground with the toe of his sneaker. "Even if she did, Hilde deserves someone better." Heero was speechless. "Please Heero, I called you because you're my best friend. Please, kill me. End my suffering." His sad eyes pleaded for help.  
"No, Duo. I can't."  
"Heero..."  
"No." Heero replied firmly. Duo laughed quietly, but not his normal laid-back laugh. It was hollow.  
"You're really something, Heero." He walked towards Heero and hugged him tightly. "Take care of Hilde for me." He whispered. Duo backed away and tears stung his eyes. With his back to the edge of the cliff, Duo spread his arms out. "See ya on the other side, Buddy." Duo closed his eyes and dropped backwards. Falling, down, down, down...  
"DUO!!" Heero screamed running to the edge. He frantically grabbed for his arm, but his fingers just brushed the end of his chestnut braid.   
  
Down...down...down...  
  
"No..." Heero gasped. He was on his stomach, one arm dangling over the edge as he watched his best friend plummet to his death. "NOO!!!" He screamed, tears runnning down his face.  
  
Down...down...down...  
  
Duo's life flashed before his eyes. Stealing from the army, The Maxwell Church, The first meeting of the other pilots, Heero re-setting his femur, the fights, OZ's trick, Relena Peacecraft, The Sanc Kingdom, Meeting Hilde, Trant and Wing Zero, Collapse of the Sanc Kingdom, finding Trowa, Libra, The final battle, Total pacifism. This is it...  
  
Down...down...down...  
  
"Goodbye...Duo..." Heero tried to stop his tears, but they continued pouring down the sides of his face. Sitting back, He couldnt help but think he could have stopped him. Duo's fall seemed to never end. Heero saw him hit the water and sink deep into the ocean.  
  
Deeper...deeper...deeper...  
  
Duo let the saltwater fill his mouth and nose, accepting death. The currents of the ocean gently pushed and pulled him along. Farewell, world...  
  
Deeper...deeper...deeper...  
  
Heero turned to go when he noticed a small black box. Picking it up, he opened it. He lifted out a small gold cross on a thin gold chain. Heero unfolded the note with it.  
  
Hey all--  
I guess if you're reading this, I must be dead. Well, I hope it was a "Heero's death"! Haha! Just joking, Heero! Well y'all should know Shinigami doesnt die! :D Heh, anyways, this is a golden cross Father Maxwell gave me. Just so y'all dont forget me! If you do, I'll come back and haunt you! Mwhahahahaha!!! Well, I dont have very many "Worldly Possesions"... Hmmm, well split everything up between the other guys and gals, K? See ya'll very soon! Hehe, got ya!  
  
Duo Maxwell  
  
  
Heero carefully folded the note back up and stuck it back in the box with the cross. Stuffing the box into his pocket, He wondered how he would go about explaining what had happened.   
"Shinigami and death are one again." He mumbled to himself. Something cold dropped on his nose. Looking up, Heero saw small flakes of snow falling. He held out his hand. "A freak storm...Or maybe not that strange..." Heero looked to the ocean below and turned his back.   
A few miles down the beach, a young teenager pulled himself from the water. With a memory that was as lost as his tortured soul...   
  
  
So? What did y'all think? I'm still not sure about that ending sentance...I might do an epilouge or just get rid of it. I know! Tell me if I should do an epilouge or get rid of the ending sentance! We'll take a vote! ^_^ hehe. 


End file.
